December 16, 2015

Small businesses in communities across the United States are the engines of local economies. They represent more than 99.7% of all employers, accounting for 55% of all jobs and 54% of salesin the U.S. That’s a big deal!

In our first annual Small Business Pulsesurvey, Yelp tapped 900 small businesses to learn what this influential group is focusing on in the year to come. If we had to pick one word to describe the outlook of small businesses heading into 2016, it’s undisputedly “optimism.” In fact, 85% of American small businesses active on Yelp expect their revenues to grow, estimating an increase of 26% in 2016.

Startups and Restaurant Industry Expect Revenue Growth

We surveyed Yelp-listed small businesses from nearly every industry: food service, health and medical services, retail and home services...you name it. Small businesses in the restaurant industry are most upbeat about 2016, with 92% expecting an overall revenue increase. Young businesses are also feeling the optimism, predicting 48% growth on average over the next year.

Challenges Despite Optimism

While there is a clear measure of confidence in the year ahead, there is no question that small businesses face plenty of challenges too. Developing effective growth strategies and rising above competition are top of mind; specifically, attracting and retaining customers (60%), managing a limited marketing budget (32%), and competition from larger businesses (30%).

Digital Marketing Levels the Playing Field

Small businesses may not have the same resources as their bigger competitors, but “Feedback Economy” platforms like Yelp can level the playing field. Businesses and consumers can now directly engage, bringing together an online community that crosses geographic, economic and social barriers – and giving business owners the digital tools and confidence they need to stay competitive.

85% of small businesses believe digital marketing has helped grow their consumer base.

79% of businesses surveyed believe that digital tools allow them to provide a more personal touch in their communities, enabling them to address the individual needs of their customers.

Yelpers Rock the Vote

Politically, small businesses share the same concerns as large businesses: reducing the regulatory burden and simplifying the tax code, which could make the process of filing taxes faster and easier for small businesses. They want changes that would allow them to focus on core business issues and grow in 2016.

Good Vibes for 2016

Yelp small businesses have a clear message heading into 2016: the recovery is over -- it’s time to grow, baby, grow! As the economy continues to improve and new digital tools emerge to connect with existing customers and reach new ones, small businesses are poised for a great 2016.

December 07, 2015

Our mission at Yelp is to connect people to great local businesses, and critical to this mission is the work we do engaging the business owner community. As we learn about their objectives and the challenges business owners face, we’re able to share effective ways to use the site to help this community reach their goals.

Over time we’ve learned that some of the best ideas are born when business owners have a chance to connect with one another, which is why we recently brought 100 entrepreneurs representing 86 communities in the US and Canada to Yelp HQ for two days of conversation and inspiration at a historic event called Coast-to-Coast: Coming Together Because We Mean Business.

Attendees met with Yelp’s founder and CEO, swapped success stories, unearthed new strategies during small group discussions, and attended sessions on everything from responding to reviews to best practices in hiring. Yelp’s engineering and product teams gained valuable insight on how to enhance business owner offerings, and we even found some time to raise a glass and toast the accomplishments of this remarkable group.

But don't take it from us! Hear from several Coast-to-Coast attendees as they give you a glimpse inside this inaugural event and the learnings they brought back to their local communities by watching this video:

December 01, 2015

Don’t have much cash to spare, but still want to give back to your community? Here’s your chance to make an impact.

The Yelp Foundation Gives Local community grant contest launches today, and will be giving away $10,000 in grants to nonprofits in each of 75 U.S. cities, all based on votes from locals like you! That’s a total of $750,000 in grants that will be awarded based on the wants and needs of the local community.

Go to the Yelp Foundation Gives Local site at YFGivesLocal.org to cast your vote from December 1-15. Choose among three nonprofits in each of 75 markets which embody the Yelp Foundation’s mission of addressing the needs of local communities including: access to information, education, local economic development, and freedom of expression. First-, second-, and third-place winners will get $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000 grants respectively, awarded in January 2016.

Share why you support local nonprofits and tell your friends how they can do the same with #YFGivesLocal. Voting is open to everyone (one vote per person per day), so there’s no limit on the good vibes we can send to these charities that work so hard to make life better for our communities.

This time of year is critical for nonprofit community engagement and fundraising. By launching on Giving Tuesday, the Foundation hopes to draw more attention to the important work these local groups do and give people a way to support these organizations, regardless of how much they can personally donate.

The Foundation’s grant and matching programs have given more than $2.6 million to charity since it was founded in 2011, and this new program will put $750,000 back into local nonprofit organizations in more communities than ever before.

November 24, 2015

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Yelp recently commissioned an online survey with Harris Poll which found that 64% of Americans plan to shop at local businesses this holiday season, and those local shoppers plan to spend an average of $258 each! Here at Yelp, we’re thrilled that so many Americans plan to support their local economies this holiday season by spending a big chunk of change on Main Street.

So our next questions is...where to shop? We culled through millions of Yelp reviews to find out which cities in the U.S. are the best for finding gifts. To determine this list, we created a gifting score for each city by looking at reviews mentioning the word “gift” at businesses in specific shopping categories that are popular for the holidays. We then ranked those cities based on the gifting score and included up to two cities per state. Voila!

Click through to see some of the best shopping spots in each of Yelp’s top 20 cities to shop local for the holidays, and get ready for some gift-giving inspiration:

November 19, 2015

Good news for local business owners: Americans plan to spend a lot of money on holiday shopping, and the majority of shoppers want to spend those dollars with you! Yelp commissioned a survey conducted online by Harris Poll in September to find out how Americans age 18+ will be shopping at local businesses this holiday season. We found that 64% of Americans plan to shop at local independent retailers, and Millennials are leading the pack! Nearly 7 in 10 Americans age 18-34 say they plan to shop for the holidays at local businesses, more than any other age group. What’s more, local shoppers plan to spend an average of $258 each at local businesses, totaling nearly $40 billion* in all to be spent with independent retailers this holiday season.

There’s a lot of opportunity for small businesses this holiday season, and these insights can help local retailers attract more shoppers. When asked what motivates them to support small businesses in their city, the majority of those likely to shop local this holiday season said they shop local to find unique gifts (67%), 55% said they like supporting the local economy, and 44% said they shop local because it’s convenient. Additionally, shoppers aren’t just looking at retail to purchase gifts this year. We found that over half of Americans (53%) plan to purchase experience-based gifts at local businesses this holiday season, such as restaurant gift certificates (34%), theater or movie tickets (18%) and salon or spa services (17%).

According to a 2015 survey by the National Retail Federation, 1 in 3 smartphone owners will use their device to look up retailer information like store hours and directions. With nearly 90 million unique monthly visitors to the Yelp app each month and 7 in 10 Yelp searches conducted via mobile, these tips can help small business owners use Yelp to attract on-the-go shoppers and get a slice of that $40 billion holiday pie:

Build out your Yelp Business Page. Claim your business for free at biz.yelp.com and make sure all your information is up-to-date, including your address, phone number and holiday hours. Also consider turning on the free Message the Business Owner feature so that potential customers can ask questions and get in touch with you quickly and easily.

Add lots of photos. Let consumers know what your business has to offer by adding photos of your space and your holiday inventory. Use photo captions to tell potential customers about your products and pricing. If you have a beautiful holiday display in your store, add photos of it to Yelp to show you’re in the holiday spirit.

Create engaging promotions. With 7 in 10 Yelp searches conducted on mobile, a Check-In Offer will help you cater to your on-the-go audience. It’s completely free to create and can be something as simple as a free hot chocolate. You can also create Yelp Deals and Yelp Gift Certificates allowing customers to transact with your business directly through your Yelp listing.

Drive more eyeballs to your Yelp page. According to Nielsen, 82% of Yelp users visit the site intending to buy a product or service and 89% of those who buy do so within a week. Consider targeted local advertising with Yelp to put your business in front of consumers nearby who are looking to make a purchase.

*Based on 234.6 million American adults (according to US 2010 Census) multiplied by 64% of Americans planning to shop local multiplied by average spend of $258 = $38.7 Billion

November 11, 2015

Yelp’s been telling the story of how people connect with great local businesses since 2004, but now we’re turning to the next generation of storytellers to spread the word. This year we’re announcing a scholarship program for film students who want to show us and the world their favorite local business.

For the first time ever, Yelp is accepting applications from college film students to participate in a short-film challenge that will culminate in the Yelp Reel Local Film Fest. We’re challenging current students from five participating cities (New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Atlanta) to produce, write, direct, shoot, edit, and submit a 3-6 minute long non-fiction film about a business in their community. The catch? They only have two weeks to do it all!

Students that apply will receive a prompt for their film with the competition’s rules and terms on Monday, November 30. From there, they have TWO WEEKS (until December 11) to complete their films and submit them for the chance to win scholarship prizes. For each participating city, participants will first be judged locally for a scholarship prize of $5,000, plus two runner up scholarship awards of $1,000 each. The winning film from each city will then be judged at the national level for a grand prize scholarship of $15,000!

Our mission with this festival is to encourage young filmmakers to look within their communities and to local business leaders for inspiring stories. At Yelp, we know that local businesses are at the heart of thriving communities and local economies, and the Reel Local Film Fest aims to bring that to life in creative ways.

Are you a film student in one of our participating cities? The application window will be open until the December 11 submission deadline, so sign up for yourself and your team here! (Sign up is required to receive the creative prompt and competition toolkit on that goes out on 11/30.)

November 05, 2015

Have you heard the phrase “nothing worth having comes easy?” Well, we don’t agree. The easier it is to get a burrito delivered to your door, the better. And a burrito is definitely worth having.

That’s why we’re unveiling new updates to the Yelp Eat24 iOS app that will make it even easier to get your favorite food into your mouth in no time. Update your app now to begin using new features that take full advantage of iOS 9 functionality, including app indexing in Spotlight search, universal links, and 3D touch, as well as the addition of Apple Pay.

Our goal is to minimize the clicks you have to make when ordering take out or delivery and to be better at guessing what you might be looking for. While mind reading software is not yet on the market, I’d say we’re getting pretty close. Here are a few ways this update will help you out:

App indexing in Spotlight search: Searching for specific cuisines and restaurants, like "Thai" or "Nick's Crispy Tacos" through Spotlight search will display results for relevant content in the Eat24 app.

Universal Links: Web or email links to Eat24 pages including Menu, Order Status and Past Orders will open in the Eat24 App.

3D Touch (for iPhone 6s and 6s+): Save time by peeking at restaurant menus, popular dishes, and larger photos without clicking through to a new screen.

Apple Pay: You’ve labored over meal selection and your cart is full of goodies. Check out in one click with Apple Pay to avoid the labor intensive reach into your wallet for a credit card.

Americans have a deep tradition of sharing opinions, whether directly through word of mouth to our friends and neighbors, in newspaper editorials, on radio and television, or -- within the last decade -- on the Internet. Consumer review sites like Yelp and others are at the forefront of the feedback economy that is taking root in the US and around the world.

According to a recent study, nearly 70% of consumers use online reviews before making a purchasing decision. Whether it is for a restaurant, hotel, pediatrician, coffee shop, hairdresser or dog walker, consumer review platforms empower people to make more informed choices by allowing them to tap into the experiences of their friends and neighbors.

As these platforms have grown, however, some businesses have tried to prevent people from talking about their opinions and experiences online by threatening them with lawsuits if they don’t comply with hidden, non-negotiable, non-disparagement clauses.

Thankfully, Congress is taking an important step in protecting consumers’ right to free speech with the Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015 (S. 2044). This bipartisan effort, introduced by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), would nullify any of the non-negotiable clauses that allow businesses to slap consumers with large fines for sharing their honest feedback.

The protection of free speech, both offline and on, has always been, and should continue to be, a top priority of the government. We at Yelp applaud the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for their dedication to this issue and look forward to a long future where people can share their firsthand experiences with local businesses without facing the threat of fine or unfair retribution.

October 13, 2015

Since 2004, Yelp has been connecting people to great local businesses. Along the way we’ve met successful entrepreneurs who have taught us important lessons about what makes great businesses tick. Their valuable insights have led to new features and updates which have made the experience on Yelp better for business owners coast-to-coast.

This got us thinking: “How can we meet more of these individuals and what would it be like to connect them with their peers?”

This November 4–5, Yelp is bringing together the people behind 100 top-rated businesses across North America for a historic event taking place at Yelp’s San Francisco headquarters called Coast-To-Coast: Coming Together Because We Mean Business.

Yelp Community Managers in the US and Canada nominated local entrepreneurs who have claimed their Yelp Business Page and are expert examples of how to use Yelp’s free tools to grow their businesses. This choice group of business owners doesn’t get hung up by 1 and 2 star reviews; they use feedback to make necessary changes. Social is very much a part of their marketing strategy, and that includes taking an active role in managing their reputation on Yelp and in the community.

Not only will we celebrate the achievements of this exclusive group, but leaders at Yelp will share expertise and arm these champions of local business with best practices we hope will help them continue to grow. We’ll provide a platform for them to network and dialogue with their peers, and our internal teams will gain valuable insight as to how to improve our business owner offerings in small focus groups.

Coast-to-Coast attendees represent 86 North American markets, a wide range of categories and different levels of experience and years in business, but the one thing they all have in common is their steadfast desire to build a robust business in their local market. We are proud to honor the following people at the first ever Coast-To-Coast: Coming Together Because We Mean Business!

While numbers do tell a story, diversity is much bigger than that. The women at Yelp work in all kinds of roles and departments to keep our company going and bring so much more to the table than a female perspective. To say thank you to these amazing women and to celebrate their accomplishments, we put together a short video to introduce you to the women of Yelp.

Creating a diverse workplace is a complex and ongoing challenge. While we still have room to grow, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made so far and am committed to doing more. Two areas we are focused on include increasing the number of women on our Engineering team to reflect a percentage that is equal to the amount of women who receive computer science degrees in college, and having each of our local sales offices match the demographics of the cities in which they’re based.

Do you think you’d be the perfect fit for a role at Yelp? Check out our open positions at yelp.com/careers and apply today!